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Mustached men of Los Angeles City Hall recognize Movember

Alice Walton

Los Angeles City Councilmen Joe Buscaino and Paul Krekorian, surrounded by the men of their offices, present a city proclamation to Movember, a campaign to draw attention to prostate and testicular cancers. Monica Valencia of Councilman Ed Reyes' Office

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The men of Los Angeles City Hall have joined thousands of other “Movember” participants to grow mustaches this month in an effort to draw awareness to prostate cancer.

Councilmen Paul Krekorian and Joe Busciano – who is working on growing out a Trucker mustache – honored Movember during Friday’s meeting of the City Council. In 2011, 854,000 “Mo Bros,” as they’re called, raised $126.3 million for the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the Livestrong Foundation and other awareness campaigns.

“While some of us are painful to look at, what is truly painful is allowing prostrate cancer to go unnoticed and unchecked,” Buscaino said. “Let this month and the facial hair you see today serve as a reminder to get screened for prostate and testicular cancer.”

“For the most part, growing a mustache can be a bit of a challenge. It’s itchy. Your wife, girlfriend, significant other doesn’t want to touch you. You make small children cry,” he said. “In my case, you look like a '70s gym teacher who is a little on the sketchy side.”

Councilman Eric Garcetti is not participating in Movember, but he said he's found a perk in having so many mustaches around.

“When we ran out of snacks in the back [of council chamber], we could just take crumbs off of your face,” he said.

He also spoke to the men’s “bravery to be mistaken for bit players in ‘Boogie Nights’ … the sheer valor to look in the mirror and see [Councilman] Dennis Zine staring back at you.”

Councilman Richard Alarcon has sported a ‘stache since he was 19 years old. He told the men that some of them look better with a little facial hair.

“If they’re like me and they have a funny upper lip, it’s really a great thing,” he said.